The Vinalhaven Planning Board unanimously approved the construction permit of the Fox Islands wind power project at its May 13 meeting. The vote marks the completion of all local permitting for the project. Pending expected approval from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, construction of three, 1.5 megawatt wind turbines is scheduled to begin in
Port Clyde Fresh Catch joins the Rockland Farmers Market
Starting Thursday, June 4, Port Clyde Fresh Catch, the seafood of the Midcoast Fishermen’s Cooperative, will be available at the Rockland Farmers Market each week. Picked shrimp meat, halibut fillets, and halibut steaks will be available this week at the market, all processed and frozen in the cooperative’s new Port Clyde-based processing facility. Starting June
Matinicus Island holds annual Town Meeting
Matinicus Isle Plantation held the annual Town Meeting on April 25 at 6 p.m. at the Matinicus Island Elementary School. Tom Wellman was nominated and duly sworn in as moderator for the meeting. The meeting was attended by 32 registered voters and seven guests. Kevin Waters of Penobscot Island Air and Chuck Kruger, the Maine
Long Island votes for town administrator position
Long Island voters approved funding for the new position of town administrator at its annual town meeting on May 9. The vote marks a turning point for the town-it’s the first time voters have approved the hiring of outside support to assist in town government since its secession from Portland in 1993. There were 17
Island youths run Vinalhaven’s first Internet cafe
Spring is a time of renewal, and this season the Vinalhaven Arts and Recreation Center (ARC) is enjoying a renewal of its own with the implementation of the Vinalhaven Youth Zone (VYZ) and the ARCafe. The VYZ is a supervised space for student socializing and the ARCafe is the island’s first Internet cafe. ARC Director
Something to write home about
Last June, William Robinson, currently a fifth grader at the Chebeague Island School in Casco Bay, could be found near the bowsprit of the schooner Timberwind, gazing off at the horizon opposite Rockport. Or you would find him sitting next to the captain at the helm or taking the huge wheel himself and guiding the
Venturing
The final leg of a northerly voyage along the East Coast includes the run from Annapolis to Maine. I had moored my boat in Annapolis for 10 days back in April to await the availability of a crew for this trip, and-just as important-the arrival of spring at my destination. Compared to a years-long whaling
Islanders petition for ferry rate rollback
This is a summer of discontent for many riders of the two largest ferry systems in Maine. Both the Maine State Ferry system and the Casco Bay Island Transit District (CBITD), which runs Casco Bay Lines, recently voted to raise fares. The state ferry system’s hike would take effect July 1. Riders of Casco Bay
Recession hits summer rental market
Typically, repeat renters of the homes and cabins on the islands of Maine rush to re-up for another summer by January or February-knowing well that the best places get snapped up quickly. However, in these days of deep recession, as of early May, Maine’s summer rental business has been slammed by the same economic waves
Make room for seafood processing
In 1950, there were 48 sardine factories in Maine. The last independently owned factory, L. Ray Packing Company, of Millbridge, closed in 2000. We won’t get into the long story of how and why these factories closed down. But in the last 35 years, the Maine coast has changed considerably. Operations like sardine factories or